By Alex Stamp

0

31-Oct-2010 01:50:00

Spurs boss believes Nani should have been booked for "deliberate handball"

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp could not hide his astonishment at referee Mark Clattenburg's decision to allow Manchester United's controversial second goal in a 2-0 victory for the hosts at Old Trafford to stand.

Clattenberg overruled his linesman who had initially flagged for a handball and allowed play to continue. Nani then took advantage of confusion on the part of Tottenham's goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who believed the foul had been given, and nipped in to score.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was scathing about the officials after the final whistle, and speaking to ESPN after the game, believed the referee should have stopped play for handball.

He said: "It was handball. He [Nani]'s put his hands on the ball, dragged the ball. He should have been booked, it's deliberate handball.

"The referee obviously didn't see him handball it so that's why he let play go on. The assistant referee has seen it, that's why he raised his flag. If he [Clattenburg]'s gone over there and told him what [he [Nani] did, then they should have disallowed the goal. How can you give a goal?"

Redknapp believed that a free-kick should have been given for the handball, and claimed it was clear that everyone on the field felt it was a foul.

He said: "He's handled the ball. He should be booked to start with and then it should be a free-kick. If you look at [Darren] Fletcher there you can see him telling Nani to get back into position as we're in a position to counter-attack.

"Gomes has put the ball down to take a free-kick. Why would he stand there? Everyone saw him handball it."

When asked whether he believed that the decision changed the outcome of the game, Redknapp said: "You never know, the game lasts 90 minutes, you never know.

"We may have got another opportunity to score, no one knows. It's impossible to tell."

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